When her blue eyes looked up at him and she saw him, she felt the cold hold on her lift. He slowly ran the cloth along her face and she took in the differences in him. Those brown eyes had grown hard and cold again and she could see the strain from constant work in his face. His skin was darker than ever and she wanted to run her hand along his sharper face. He laid the cloth in the bowl and she tried moving her stiff body upwards. He watched her try to sit up and caught her shoulders. Her wince didn't go unnoticed as he helped her up and he felt her body trembling. She turned her ocean blue eyes on him and he brushed her blonde hair back from her face. "You shouldn't be moving." "What am I doing here?" His eyes narrowed and she looked around the room. He could see the questions starting to draw into her eyes and bit back a sigh. "What do you remember?" She looked back at him and said "Nothing past..." "You protecting your father." Her eyes looked away and he watched her look at her hands. She carefully rested her hand on her abdomen and winced. He pulled her hand away and she looked back at him. "Your father brought you up and handed you over to me. The doctor spent a long time stitching you up." "Why?" He knew what she wasn't saying and looked away. All the emotions racing through him at the moment were making it hard to answer her important questions. He slid off the bed and walked over to the windows. Those very questions have been haunting him since the king handed her to him. "Jonathan?" He closed his eyes and said "I don't know why he handed you to me. He just said he couldn't help you." She closed her eyes and felt the cold from his voice wrap around her. Slowly she looked back at him and pushed the bedding off. He heard the rustling and looked over his shoulder as she pushed her legs over the edge. Her shoulders rose with a deep breath and she held one arm to her injured body as she attempted to stand. He caught her before she hit the floor and her hiss echoed in the room. "I told you not to move." She held onto his shoulder as her legs slowly found their ground and she looked up at him. "Eve." "How long?" Her eyes were pulling him back in and he felt her warm hand sending fire through his blood once more. "A month." Her eyes never moved and he felt her hand slowly run over his face. Each touch left his skin warm and peace finally came back to him. "You've been straining yourself too much." He would of smirked at those words but that motion had grown foreign once again. Her blue eyes however still had their pull on him and he felt his hand catch in her silky hair. "You must hate me." He looked down at her with a questioning look and she flashed a brief smirk. "I wasn't planning on coming back when I wrote that letter." "I know." "Then why did you let me stay?" His eyes softened for the first time in over a month and she felt him wrap his arm around her waist. His mouth brushed hers and the electric jolt left her grounded. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he pulled her closer. Her fingers wrapped themselves into his hair and he crushed her hair in one hand. A bark brought him back and he slowly pulled back. She leaned her head against his shoulder as her body slowly recovered and he ran his hand along her spine. He turned his eyes to Tanner and found the dog wagging his tail again. "Keep it up and you're out." The dog let out a sad whimper and she laughed into his chest. The sound left his breath in his throat at the musical melody and he watched her slowly look up at him. She turned back to Tanner and the dog looked at her with sad eyes. He felt her body pull away from him, taking its warmth with it, and he watched her sit on the bed. Tanner licked her face and nuzzled against her. She wrapped her arms around his soft coat and the dog let out a content sigh. She ran her fingers through the warm fur and looked up at the man. His brown eyes stared back at her with the old intense look and she released Tanner. The dog hopped off the bed and trotted over to the doors. She watched him be let out into the hall and the door shut behind him. "He's gotten big." Jonathan looked back at her and asked "Did you want a hot bath and some food?" She smirked and said "Sounds nice." He walked into the bathroom and checked the water. It had been changed not too long before he had returned and was still warm. Looking around the room, he found an extra shirt of his and walked back into the bedroom. He found the woman fighting to keep her eyes open and helped her up. He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. Slowly he lowered her onto her feet and she looked up at him. He looked over at the shirt and a smirk captured her face again. Silently he left the room and pulled the door shut behind him. He quietly left the room and walked downstairs. His boots moved soundless through the first floor and he entered the kitchen. He found Oric wiping down the counter and the cook stopped. They looked at each other and a big grin captured the man's face. "I'll bring something up right away." He eyed the cook and heard the man laugh at the look. Shaking his head, he left the kitchen and walked back to the stairs. Climbing up to the second floor, he saw Grace look out her door at the sound and spot him. She stepped out of her room and he stopped next to her. "How is she?" He looked back at her and said "Tired." The woman slowly began smiling and he looked away. She laughed and he looked back at her. "You do realize you'll suffocate." The woman took a deep breath and said "Better." He stared at her and she said "I'm just glad to see some life back in those handsome eyes of yours." Shaking his head, he stepped past her and heard "Don't keep her up too late tonight." He stepped into his room and shut the door behind him. Walking over to his bed, he sat down and let out a sigh. Leaning his head down, he ran his hand over his stiff neck and heard the door open. Looking up slowly, he felt his eyes focus on her as his body went still. She moved across the room and he would almost believe she was never injured. "Oric is bringing up some food." Her eyes looked at the door and he knew where her mind was going. He caught her hand and pulled her down to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he caught her exotic scent. "I shouldn't be wearing this." "I'd rather you keep something on." She rolled her eyes and lifted her head. He met her gaze and she ran her hand along his hardened jaw. His skin was cool under her fingertips and it sent chills through her. She could remember when he felt warm and she could never get enough of that warmth. The nights spent in here in his arms had been a long distant memory but she could still remember how complete she had felt. His hand caught hers and he pulled the tempting source away from him. She could see the darkening in his eyes and smirked. Quietly she slid off his lap and he took a deep breath. He watched her walk back to the bathroom and look back at him. "You might want to be ready when Oric knocks." He caught the teasing look and watched the door shut behind her. Taking a deep breath, he forced all the pounding to stop. His body was racing out of control and he forced it back under his iron cold grip. Silently he stood up and moved the windows. He opened them and let the evening cool calm his skin. The knock echoed in the room and he heard the man enter. Oric put the tray on a table and looked over at him. "Where is she?" He looked back at the man and then glanced at the bathroom door. The man just chuckled and looked back at him. "I didn't think she had anything of hers in here." The look he received just made him laugh and he walked to the door. "Try to make sure she gets some of the food before anything else." Jonathan's next look chased the man out of the room laughing still. He watched the door shut and leaned against the wall. A quiet groan escaped him and he look out the window. He felt her eyes on him and looked over at the bathroom. She was leaning against the frame watching him and his blood started to quicken. He watched her move to the table and look over the tray of food. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and watched her step back.